Deadline extended to grant permission for hazardous cleanup for Marion County homes burned by wildfire

County officials have extended a deadline for homeowners to give state and federal crews permission to remove wildfire debris from their properties.  

Homeowners now have until Friday to submit the Right of Entry forms in Marion County, according to officials. 

Teams from the Environmental Protection Agency and their contractors are arriving in Oregon to begin the removal of household hazardous waste from properties damaged or destroyed by wildfire.

The removal of the hazardous waste is the first in a two-step cleanup process and is funded by FEMA and the State of Oregon with no cost to property owners.

Debris removal in Marion County is set to begin Nov. 2. However, officials say many property owners have not completed the right of entry form, which slows efforts to remove the waste.

Officials emphasize that if a property owner completes the right of entry form, agencies will not attempt to recoup money from insurance allocated for the rebuilding of homes. 

For insurance policies that include specified coverage for debris removal and a specified debris removal coverage limit, agencies may seek reimbursement for debris cleanup, but only up to the debris removal coverage limit stated in the policy.

"The state-wide wildfire debris cleanup effort led by FEMA and the State of Oregon is the best way for property owners to get their sites cleaned up at the lowest cost, and it's the only program available to assist uninsured property owners at no cost to them," said Brian Nicholas, Marion County Emergency Management director. "If you choose to clean up yourself, you must still comply with DEQ regulations for asbestos and lead disposal and you will have to bear all uninsured costs on your own."

The Right of Entry form and additional information regarding wildfire recovery are available at www.MCWildfireRecovery.net. For answers to questions about the process or help completing the form, call the Marion County Right of Entry helpline at (503) 365-3140.

Virginia Barreda is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at 503-399-6657 or at vbarreda@statesmanjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.